Monday, February 06, 2006

Why do the Pittsburgh Steelers have a logo on only one side of their helmets?

sThe Steelers have a storied tradition that includes four Super Bowl titles, a large cast of colorful Hall of Famers, and some of the NFL's most distinctive uniforms. We blitzed over to Pittsburgh's official site to see if there was a story to the asymmetrical logo placement.

Based on American Iron and Steel Institute's logo, the Steelers' iconic symbol features three diamond shapes representing the materials used to produce steel (orange for ore, yellow for coal, and blue for steel scrap). The logo made its debut on the team's helmets in 1962 on just one side. The team wanted to make sure they liked the way it looked before committing to placing it on both sides. Who knew linemen could be so fashion conscious?

That year, the squad went on to finish with a franchise best 9-5 record and qualified for the playoffs. To celebrate the occasion, the helmets, which were gold at the time, were painted black. This new color scheme better highlighted the logo, and the Steelers decided to keep it. However, the logo stayed on the right side only, and tradition being what it is, we'd be surprised if they ever change it.